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Police say speed was a factor in the crash Saturday when an SUV careened off the upper level of the FDR and landed on top of a taxi below, injuring eight people. (Published Sunday, July 17, 2011)

The driver of the SUV that careened off the upper level of the FDR Saturday passed an alcohol breath test after the accident, but officials say he may have been speeding when he crashed.

Eight people were injured when the Land Rover swerved near 23rd Street around 3 a.m., hitting the barrier and flipping over the top deck, landing on a taxi that was stopped at a traffic light in the southbound service road.

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Five women and two men who were in the SUV and the taxi driver were taken to Bellevue Hospital. A 29-year-old woman was listed in critical but stable condition. The others were in stable condition.

A witness, Brian Duncan, saw the crash and said he rushed to help.

"There was a gentleman outside the window and caught in between the window. The steering wheel had his legs pinned," Duncan said. "I asked him what his name was. I tried to wake him up. And his eyes opened up and he said his name was Eric."